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(No Model.)

0. 'K; WARING. PORTABLE FOLDING WARDROBE.

Patented Aug. 10, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

CLARA K. WARING, on MIDDLETOWN, ASSIGNOR TO JENYNS o. BATTEB-SBY,

. on NEW YORK, N. Y.

PORTABLE FOLDING WARDROBE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 347,308, dated August 10, 1886.

Application filed May 1], 1882.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARA K. WARING, of Middletown, county of Orange, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Folding Wardrobes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a wardrobe or receptacle for hanging dresses and clothing which can be suspended upon the side wallot' a room or in a corner, and which may be folded up when not in use,and carried in a trunk, if desired, and which, by division into suitable sections, can be adapted to the angle formed by the corner of a room, and which shall be provided with suitable racks or studs for hanging the clothes, and rods and rings for suspending the inclosing curtains, so as to entirely inclose the wardrobe at its front and sides,and to exclude dust and light and flies from the interior of the wardrobe. The nature of my invention consists, chiefly, in the peculiar construction of the canopy or top of the wardrobe in. parts which fold together,and in sections which can be altered in their positions, so that this canopy or top will form a parallelogram or a triangular figure to fit the angle in the corner of a room, and which may be suspended by cords or wires from the wall, as will be fully illustrated in the description of the same herein set forth, and the accompanying drawings, forming part of this my specification.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 represents a front view of my improvement for a side wall. Fig. 2 represents a front view of the same as adapted to a corner of a room.

1 Fig. 3 represents the upperside or face of the canopy or top of the wardrobe, with the lines of division thereon; Fig. 4, the same with the sections moved into positions to adapt the wardrobe to a corner of a room; Fig. 5, the under side or interior of the same with racks and latch. Fig. 6 represents the canopy folded, the two halves turned back upon each other, so as to reduce the space occupied,when folded,to about one-half that which it has when in use. I

Similar letters represent similar parts in all the figures.

In the construction of my improvement I first take two equal pieces of light thin board Serial No. 61,043. (No model.)

of the form of an elongated parallelogramsay, for example, each of these pieces being eighteen inches in length, twelve inches wide, and half an inch in thickness. The precise g dimensions are, however, not essential, the object being to have the materials of as light weight and moderate size as convenience will permit. The shape and construction of these pieces are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, in which A A are the two parts which form the canopy or top of the wardrobe. These parts are united by hinges l 1, which are so arranged as that the parts A can be folded back and lie close to each other, back to back, as shown in Fig. 6, so as that when not hung up or in use they occupy but half the space that they do when extended.

The two parts A A are divided-into rightangled triangular pieces B B by a cut shown at the lines22. The partsBBare also hinged to A A by hinges 3 3, so that by turning them upward upon the hinges and reversing their position their edges 4 4 meet, and thus are made to form with A A the apex of a triangular figure suitable for fitting into the corner of a,1'oom. The dotted lines in Figs. 3, 4, and

5 show the lines of movement of the pieces B B when turned upon their hinges.

When the canopy is to be hung upon the side of a wall, the parts A B are held'together in position by the hooks 5 and staples 6,'Figs. 3 and 4, which can be disengaged, when desired, to permit the parts B to be turned over backward, as described. When the parts B B are turned back so as to form the angular figure, they are held in position by the hooks and staples 7 8, Fig. 4. These hooks and staples are all on the outer or upper surface of the canopy. C, Fig. 5, is a latch-bar, which is placed square across the joint between A A on the under side of the canopy-pieces A, one end of which turns upon the pivot or pin 9 on one part, and the opposite end of the latch-bar shuts under the arm of a cleat, 10, on the other part, and when so shut the canopy is held together as one piece, and when the latch is disengaged from the cleat the parts A A are free to be folded together, as above described, and when so folded together assume the form shown in Fig. 6, and reduce the length of the canopy by one-half.

For the purpose of suspending clothing or other articles within the wardrobe I construct an elongated rectangular frame or rack of light wood, between the upper and lower parts of which frame are arranged clothing-hooks, the straight upright parts of which hooks have their bearings in the upper and lower bars of the frame, and so that they will turn either way, and which support the projecting horizontal parts of the hooks by which the clothes arehung up. There are two of these frames one for each part of the canopy A A. These frames are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6 at 11 ll 11. The clothing-hooks are within the bars at 12 12 12. Theracks are adj ustabl y fastened to the parts A A of the canopy by means of thumb or ring screws 13, Figs. 3 and 4, which pass through holes made through the parts A A near their back edges, and the screws entering into the top bar of the frame or rack 11, when screwed up closely, hold the rack in place, and by turning the screws backward the racks may be disengaged, leaving the canopy free to be folded, as above described. \Vhen the canopy is arranged to be placed in the corner of the room, these racks are slightly turned upon their screw-fastenings, acting as pivots, so as to correspond with the sides of the angles.

From the front and sides of the canopy curtains are to be suspended. (Represented by the dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 2in Fig. 2 arranged for a corner wardrobe.) Curtains are only required for the front, while for a sidewall wardrobe the curtains must be suspended in front and on the sides. The canopy should be hung at such distance from the ceilings above that the curtains should reach the floor, or very near it, and the curtains should be of width sufficient to hang in gathers, so as to keep out light and dust, 850. These curtains are suspended by rings sewed on the curtains and slid over horizontal wire rods, fastened at their ends by hooks and eyes, so as to permit the curtains to be slipped back and forth, as required. The arrangement of the curtainrods with the rings is shown in Fig. 5 at ff for the front and g g for the sides. For the more completely closing the wardrobe when the curtains are drawn the rods cross each other at the middle, h, so as to allow the edges of the curtains to be slipped past each other.

A slight molding may be placed round the edges of the canopy for ornament, as seen at m, Figs. 1, 2.

The canopy is suspended by cords or wires, at such height as may be convenient, from hooks in the ceiling or wall, the lower ends of the cords 0r wires being fastened to the canopy at front and rear, and almost midway in each of the two parts A A, between their ends, so as to balance and hold steady the canopy. In corner wardrobes a stud in the angle of the walls may be useful for the apex of the canopy to rest upon.

By my improvements, as herein set forth, very cheap and convenient wardrobes can be constructed and placed in any suitable location, and be easily removed. The parts can be separated and the canopy folded together so as to occupy but a small space, and can be easily packed in a trunk, and thus enable travelers and visitors at hotels or wateringplaces, or in their own dwellings, to have at all times a suitable and convenient receptacle forhanging dresses and garments, which would crease and wrinkle from being constantly packed in trunks.

Having described my invention and improvements and the mannerof constructing the same, what Iclaim as my invention, and which. I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wardrobe'canopy suitable to be placed in a corner of a room, composed of parts AA and hinged sections B B, latch G, and the hooks and eyes, so as to form together a right-angled triangular figure, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as set forth.

2. A hanging portable and sectional wardrobe composed of the parts AA B B, the latch, hooks and eyes, and adjustable racks or frames for the suspending-hooks for clothing and ourtains, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as set forth.

CLARA K. \VARIN G.

XVitnesses:

HENRY W. WIeGINs, F. B. DENTON. 

